Refrigerating machine



Aug. 13, 1929. A GRlER 1,724,874

REFRIGERAT ING MACHINE Filed Jan. 2 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 mentor 13, 1929- J. A. GRIER 1,724,874

REFRIGERATING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fairly atented Aug. 13, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Application'filed January 25, 1.924. Serial 'No. 688,539.

This invention relates to improvements in refrigerating machines and has for its pH- mary object the production of a machine in whlch a relatively large'volume of refrigerating medium may be circulated under a relatively low pressure; whereby a simple,

compact and highly eificient apparatus. may be produced which is especially adapted for domestic use and in butcher shops, florists, groceries, soda fountains and a wide range of industrial uses. Other objects of the invention are: (1) To provide a lubricating and a separator system whereby the moving parts are thoroughly lubricated and the separator removes all of the lubricant from the compressed gases before they pass on into the condenser and become chilled by the condensing water. This method keeps any lubricant from gettin into the condenser and insulating the tubes by coating them. (2) To make a machine which is fairly compact, yet has every part instantly accessible, so that in case of trouble, no other parts would have to be torn th 25 d own to get to the art that needs attention. (3) To provide a machine which is entirely devoid of valves having stlilfing boxes, thus reducing chances for leakage; and having no valves to operate, this apparatus can be operated by persons of no technical knowledge whatever. Further objects will sufiiciently appear from the detailed description hereinafter.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations including the following: The main principle of my refrigerating machine or system is that of circulating a refrigerant which on the high side is liquid, and on the low side becomes vapor. My refrigerant may be any one of a number of well known substances commonly employedfor this purpose, for example ethyl chloride. In order to circulate a large volume of the refrigerant under relatively low pressure, I have adopted a certain novel grouping and arrangement of the apparatus, and pieces of apparatus, so that the refrigerant as it comes mto t e compressor is fed down through a reservoir and up through a separator, thence to the condenser and by sultable piping back to the evaporating coils or grids. rotary compressori empl0yed,

- driven by any suitable motor, preferably a have specially designed some of the rotary motor, and specifically described herein as an electric motor. The compressed gases pass down through a large exhaust opening in the bottom of the compressor into a lubricant chamber from which they pass upward through a specially constructed separator, which takes out all the oil and throws it down into the lubricant chamber. The gases under ressure ass from the separator into the con enser, w ile the pressure maintained on the lubricant forces it up in constantcirculation through the bearings and working parts of the com ressor. The machine is made compact by aving the motor, compressor, separator, condenser, and charging valve, all mounted on the same base, but as separate units, so that any one is accessible without disturbing the others. The base,

g moreover, contains the lubricant chamber or reservoir, and forms a part of the working circuit of the refrigerant. The machine is rendered devoid of valves by using a rotary compressor, and connecting the same up in e. circuit with fixed pipe connections throughout so that liability to leakage is reduced to practically zero, the only point requiring special attention being the stufiing box of the compressor, which is desi ed to withstand the highest pressures li ely to occur. 1

As a part of my invention, which I shall claim as novel herein, I construct my separator as a column with communicating up paths for the refrigerant, the lowerend of the column draining into the lubricant chamber, so that centrifugal force, as well as the force ofgravity, will the lubricant from down through the spirals, and up again through the length of the column.

y invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawings, in which like parts are indicated by the same numerals. I

Figure 1 is an end elevation of the preerred type of in machine.

Figure 2 is a rontelevatioh.

Figure 3 is a plan showing relation and location of the parts. 3

Figure 4 is a section of compressor base show ng separator in section and compressor partly in section, taken on the line A, A, of Figure 2. i F

Referring to thedrawings': 1 is an electric motor, 2 is a rotary compressor, 3 is the lubricant separator, 4 is a base for the compressor and the separator which forms a reservoir for the lubricant. The combination 2, 3 and 4 is very novel and will be more fully described hereinafter. 5 is the condenser which stands vertical in this case although I may mount it horizontally or otherwise, as may best suit the circumstances of particular cases. The separator and condenser are connected by the pipe or conduit 15. The charging valve 19 is connected to the condenser by the pipe 18. The pipe 21 leads the liquid refrigerant to the expansion valve 31. The expansion valve is connected to the evaporating coils or grids 33 and 34 by the pipe 32. The said grids or coils interconnected by the pipe 37, are placed in a tank 35 of brine 36, and are connected to the intake side of the rotary compressor by the pipe 38.

The pipe 12 leads water into the condenser. The pipe 13 leads the water from the condenser into the stufiing box end 17 of the compressor 2 where it passes through covered openings in 2, to the head 16 then out through the pipe 14.

The base 4 which forms a lubricant reservoir has circular openings 40 and 41 over which are mounted the compressor 2 and the lubricant separator 3 respectively (see Fig. 4). The quantity oflubricant 28 in the system is so regulated that there will always be a space between its surface and the upper wall of the reservoir 4 for the gases to pass from the compressor 2 to the separator 3.-

The gases pass through pipe 38 into the intake 8 of the compressor 2 and after being compressed, they are discharged through the opening40 into the lubricant reservoir 4 where they go along above the surface of the lubricant and into the separator through the opening 41. The .separator may consist of one or more spirals or a plurality of baffle plates but" in the preferred type of my machine I use two spirals as shown. The tube 23 has a spiral 22 around its outside of such diameter as to fit tightly inside the cylinder which forms the body part of 3. The lower end of the said tube 23 projects below the surface of the lubricant 28 in the reservoir, just clearing the bottom of the inside of the base 4. The lubricant keeps this end of the tube closed so that the gases have to pass around the spiral to get out, and the deeper this tube projects into the liquid, the lower the liquid level may become before the seal is broken. The compressor gases pass up the spiral 22 which gives them a rapid romotion. The particles of lubricant which ma have become mixed with the gases, in t e compressor, are thrown out by centrifugal force against the inner wall of the tube 3 and drain back down to the other lubricant in the reservoir below. The said gases on arriving at the top have no other outlet than around the spiral 25. The passage around this spiral 25 takes out "all remaining lubricants, and thus cleansed the gases arriving at the bottom of the spiral 25 again turn upward through the tube 24 and pass out the opening 26 through the pipe or conduit 15 into the condenser 5. The inner spiral 25 is wound around the tube 24. This tube 24 has its upper end fitted tightly into the head 7 of the separator 3 and its lower end at a sufiicient distance above the surface of the lubricant 28 so that a surge would not force the body of the lubricant up said tube. The supply of lubricant is replenished by removing the plug, 30, placing a funnel in the hole and pouring in lubricant.

My condenser 5 has copper tubes (not shown in the drawing,) through which the cooling water passes, the gases filling the cylinder and surrounding the outside of the tubes. In mounting the condenser vertically my liquid refrigerant accumulates to some considerable depth, whereas if mounted horizontally it would run the whole length of the condenser and not be so deep. However, I may mount the condenser either way, without departing from the invention, the vertical arrangement being at present deemed preferable.

The liquid refrigerant passes out the bottom of the condenser 5 through the pipe 18, on through valve 19 which has been turned or placed in the running position so as to connect pipe 18 with pipe 21 and so on into the expansion valve 31. The expanded refrigerant passes through the pipe 32 into the expansion or evaporating coils or grids 33 and 34 where they absorb heat from the brine 36 and pass on back through the pipe 38 to the compressor and so on, the same cycle being repeated. 1 I

There is constant pressure on the lubricant reservoir, the separator and the condenser, known as the high side, indicated by the gauge 6, and I take advantage of this to insure eificient lubrication of themoving parts. Referring again to Fig. 4, the pressure on the surface of the lubricant 28 in the reservoir forces lubricant constantly up the feeder pipe 29, whence it goes through ducts, not shown, to lubricate all moving parts of the compressor.

The pressure on the low side of the system is below atmospheric and is indicated by the vacuum gauge 39.

The motor 1 drives the compressor 2 directly through a flexible coupling 10. The stufling box 11 is the only opening between inside and outside of the system and it is effectively sealed against leakage by the lubricant and by a special packing.

The charging valve19 is a three way valve with the stem normally, or when the system prevent its being moved. In starting operation, I connect a drum of liquid refrigerant to the chargin valve at 20, and turn the valve so that t e liquid feeds in at 20 and on through the pipe 21 to the expansion valve 31, shutting off or dead ending the pipe 18. I then start the machine running, and let the refrigerant expand through the expansion valve into the cooling coils or grids 33 and 34;, pass on through pipe 38 to compressor 2, through separator 3, and into con.- denser 5 to be again liquified. The condensed liquid accumulates in the bottom of the condenser. When the required number of pounds of refrigerant have been put into the machine I turn the valve 19 so that the liquid accumulated in condenser 5 feeds through pipe 18 into pipe 21, shutting off or dead ending the pipe 20 so that the tank of refrigerant can be shut off and disconnected. I then seal up the hole, where pipe. 20 is connected, with a plpg, and replace the top 42 of the valve 19 so as to seal it up and prevent tampering. The system is then ready for continuous operation as long as the motor 1 is running.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a refrigerating machine, a compres sor, a motor therefor, a lubricant separator and a condenser, 21. base for said elements with means for securing the same thereto, a pipe circuit connecting said elements, and also connecting the compressor and condenser with the two sides of an evaporating or heat absorbing element and a portion of said base formed with a cavity connecting the.

compressor and the lubricant separator and forming a reservolr for said lubricant.

2. In a refrlgeratlng mac'hlne, a compressor, a motor therefor, a lubricant separator,

and a condenser, together with a base upon which said elements are separately mounted independently of each other, a part of said base being formed into a lubricant reservoir communicating with the lubricant separator and with the compressor respectively.

3. In a refrigerating machine, a compressor, a housing therefor, a motor for said compressor, a lubricant separator, and a condenser, together with a base upon which said elements are separately mounted independently of each other, a part of said base being formed into a lubricant reservoir communicating with the lubricant separator and with the compressor housing respectively, and forming a part of the high pressure side of the refrigerating system, between the compressor and the condenser.

4. In a refrigerating machine the combination with a rotary compressor, a housing 5, "therefor, a motor for driving the compressor,

a lubricant separator, a condenser, an evaporator, and connections between said compressor and condenser, separator and evaporator, of hollow mounting means for supporting said compressor and separator and communica ing therewith, said hollow mounting means also constituting a lubricant reservoir and a base upon which the motor, compressor mounting means and condenser are mounted so as to be movable as one unit.

5. Ina refrigerating machine, the combination of a compressor, a housing therefor, a hollow member upon which said compressor is mounted and into which said compressor discharges downwardly, a body of lubricant in said hollow member, an oil pipe extending from said compression into the body of lubricant, a gas passage above the body of lubricant, a lubricant separator communicating with said hollow member and through'which the gas and entrained oil pass,said lubricant separator extending par-.

allel with the discharge for said compressor and at least partially in the same horizontal plane, a condenser and an evaporator, and connections between said hollow member, condenser, evaporator and compressor.

' In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

JOHN ALFRED QRIER. 

